September 23, 2012

It's Official: Apple's New (TomTom Powered) Maps Suck, Big Time

Well, that didn't take long. iOS 6 hasn't been out a full week yet, and Apple's fancy new 3D maps have been universally panned as "a mess".

Originally touted as one of the most compelling new features of iOS6, Apple is now asking users to be patient as they work through the kinks and improve the maps.

According to this Business Insider article: "now that Apple's Maps are getting panned by people, its primary map data partner TomTom is also getting trashed." Also not helping TomTom's case is a recent comment by the CEO of Waze who called TomTom "the weakest player in the maps industry."

For its part, TomTom claims Apple's crappy maps aren't TomTom's fault at all, and that it's how you use the mapping data that makes or breaks a mobile application. For example, TomTom says their own GPS devices and mobile smartphone Apps are highly rated by users.

You know, I'm not the kind of guy to say I told you so, but... Well, I told you so! I've been saying for years that Navteq mapping data (used in Garmin GPS devices) is better than TomTom's maps, but no one believed me. Well, what do you all have to say for yourselves now?